The Knight Witchis a fine mixture of shoot ‘em-up gameplay and Metroidvania and this combination strangely works. Long ago, the world was in unity. That is until an evil lord came to power, declaring technology to be the focus of life. While technology helped society grow, it was also killing the planet.
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A group of rebels took to arms with four hero witches leading the pack. The war ended with the discovery of an underground system of tunnels. As the surface was barren, people fled to these tunnels. Years later, it looks like evil is at it again and a newly formed hero, Rayne, is up to the task to save the world once again. That’s the basic gist ofThe Knight Witch, so here are some handy tips to get started.
6Cheats To Even The Odds
The Knight Witchhas a throwback to games from the 90s that had cheat codes built in. There are no difficulties in the game, but these cheat codes, eight in total, should help even the odds for those that struggle with bullet hell shooters. The cheats are like a more old-schoolversion of assist featuresseen in modern games.
Guessing what the codes are in the game is challenging but thankfully thereare cheat guidesout there to unlock them. Players can become invincible with health, have unlimited Mana for spells, they can slow down bullets, and the list goes on. Even if players don’t plan on using cheats, they should unlock them all anyway just in case of emergency.
5HP Vs Mana Upgrades
There are a couple of ways players can level up their character likein an RPG. There are nodes in the game which ask players if they wish to upgrade HP or Mana. Upgrades can also be prompted if players rescue enough NPCs. HP generally increases health, but Mana includes bonuses besides giving players more magic to play around with.
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Upgrading Mana will also increase the size of the card deck, makingThe Knight Witcha bit of acollectible card gameas well. That’s how players can cast magic via cards. Once a spell card is used up, it will go to the bottom and get reshuffled the more players use magic in battle. The more slots players have open, the better variety of spells they can cast. Health is important too, but magic evens the odds more.
4Expanding Your Card Deck
Getting cards is a bit trickier than gaining upgrades. Players can find them in chests while exploring, or from bosses. They can get them from quest rewards as well. The best way to get cards is through collecting Yupi Coins though.
These gold coins can be collected as soon as the proper game brings but they can’t be spent until after an hour or two of gameplay. Spending these coins at the vendor will prompt three cards to randomly appear. Players can game the system by saving before spending coins. If they don’t like their choices then they can resetThe Knight Witchand try again.
3Using Shards Wisely
Shards arethe odd currencyof this game which spews out of enemies as rewards. At first, all players can do is buy disposable armor. Avoid wasting Shards on disposable things like that, unless players are prepping for a boss. Even that can feel like a waste though.
Eventually, the castle will open up various other vendors such as the Yupi Coin guy. There’s a vendor that can clone cards as well, which is handy for creating the ultimate deck. The wisest decision is to save Shards for emergencies or late-game content.
2You Can Dodge…Eventually
The Knight Witchis a tough nut to crack if players don’t use cheats. That’sbecause old-school shooterslike this hail bullets at players without letting up. Players have to get good at manually dodging these projectiles with their normal movement speed. It can feel weird to not have a dedicated dodge button from the start.
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However, about two hours into the game, players can unlock Flash Dash. This will allow players to bypass certain walls in the environment. It’s one of several upgrades that allow players to access new areas which is common for a Metroidvania. Flash Dash is like a dodge ability and can also be used to get through these bullet storms, which is good to know.
1Don’t Forget About Akai’s Bond
This game is a sprawling series of dungeons that players can easily get lost in. Thankfully players will get Akai’s Bond at the beginning of their adventure. This upgrade, via Rayne’s husband Akai, will create a guiding light players can follow toward their main goal. It’s good to note that directly following the light isn’t always the best idea.
While the light may point north, going west may be the better route since there could be blockages. Studying the map before blindingly following the light is the key here. Also, whenever an impassible door or object is discovered, make a note. Take a picture of the environment, and the place it is on the map, and also use your phone to take that note. It will help with backtracking, which is a standard tipfor a Metroidvania.
The Knight Witchwas released on July 13, 2025, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
